No threat found to Valley City students after social media post alludes to shooting

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) UPDATE: Josh Johnson, Valley City Public Schools Superintendent sent out the following message to students and parents regarding a possible threat:

“Earlier this afternoon, VCPS sent out communications on our parent email listserv and through our instant alert phone system regarding a social media story and a possible threat against our high school. Upon further investigation, we were able to confirm that the social media post that was shared with you in an email this afternoon, originated in Valley, Alabama.”

“In light of the recent school tragedy in Parkland, Florida, we all have a heightened sense of awareness towards school safety and threats made to our students and schools. On behalf of the school district, we would like to thank everyone that shared information related to this story. The safety of our students must always be our top priority. We will continue to be alert to all potential threats to the safety of our students and staff at VCPS.”

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ORIGINAL: Valley City Public School District may have received a threatening message on social media. School officials are remaining cautious but plan on scheduling classes as of Sunday night. The threat remains under investigation by the Valley City Police Department.

The following is a news release issued by Valley City Public School Superintendent Josh Johnson on February 25th.

“On Saturday night our school resource officer received information that there was a social media message circulating that was perceived by some as being a threat. Information of the post was sent to the Valley City Police Department as well as school officials. The Valley City Police Department has been investigating this report.

At this time we do not believe that this message is a direct reference to Valley City Public School, due to additional schools receiving similar messages and the vague content of the message. We will, however, continue to monitor and assess the situation. On Monday, we are having additional officers available in and around the schools to monitor students.

At this time, we are planning on having school as scheduled tomorrow (Monday). As you know, safety is always our priority. If there is additional information that leads us to change our decision based on the police investigation, we will notify you through our communication system of email, social media and emergency calling system.

If you have any specific information on the individual who may have posted this, if you know the identity of the individual in the post or if you have any specific information pertaining to this post, please contact the SRO officer Sean Hagen (840-9761) and the Valley City Police Department.”